Breaking down Amazon's HQ2 finalists

January 18, 2018 11:44 AM

Amazon will put its second North American headquarters in one of these 20 cities.

Amazon will put its second North American headquarters in one of these 20 cities.

Photo: Amazon

Amazon will put its second North American headquarters in one of...photo-14907241.177649 - |ucfirst

Atlanta, Georgia

This Southern belle ranks highly in education and tech talent thanks in part to Georgia Tech. It's a transportation hub with the busiest airport in the world, and is reportedly offering more than $1 billion in incentives. Factor in an affordable cost of living, and Atlanta should warrant serious consideration.

The home of the University of Texas, Austin also ranks highly in terms of education and available tech talent, as well as a great food, music and festival scene. Amazon-owned Whole Foods is already based there, but is Texas too much of a cultural leap from Seattle?

Austin, Texas The home of the University of Texas, Austin also...photo-9351724.177649 - |ucfirst

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston obviously has a lot to offer as the home of MIT, Harvard and several other storied institutions. Plus, Amazon has already invested in the area, including the announcement of a 900-person office in the city that's scheduled to open in the spring. Boston has shown itself amenable to giving companies big tax breaks to move into the city, like the $150 million in incentives it gave General Electric.

The capital of Ohio and home of Ohio State University offered Amazon 15 years full property tax abatement, income tax refunds and investments in transportation, education and workforce developments, according to the Columbus Dispatch. But will that be enough to overcome the city's economic and transportation challenges?

Columbus, Ohio The capital of Ohio and home of Ohio State...photo-10484384.177649 - |ucfirst

Dallas, Texas

Texas is business friendly, but would Amazon's workforce -- including those currently based in progressive Seattle -- be happy working in the conservative state? Dallas' proximity to Austin could work in its favor, as could its relatively cheap building costs.

Dallas, Texas Texas is business friendly, but would...photo-7984990.177649 - |ucfirst

Denver, Colorado

The Mile High City is certainly the most like Seattle of the 20 finalists: a blue dot in a mostly red state with plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities and an emerging tech scene. Plus it's got a busy airport. But with so many of the contenders based on the East Coast, could Denver be too close to Seattle to be the next Seattle?

Denver, Colorado The Mile High City is certainly the most like...photo-9115479.177649 - |ucfirst

Indianapolis, Indiana

There aren't a lot of details known about Indy's proposal, but Indiana has a reputation as a business-friendly, stable economy. San Francisco-based Salesforce has a large presence in the city, an indication of a rising tech sector.

LA has a lot of things working against it, including infrastructure issues and a highly-regulated California economy. But an abundance of educational opportunities and available tech talent might help overcome that. Plus, Amazon is certainly making a big push into entertainment.

Los Angeles, California LA has a lot of things working against...photo-10918139.177649 - |ucfirst

Miami, Florida

Miami is probably the biggest surprise on Amazon's list of finalists. There are major challenges as far as transportation goes, not to mention the city isn't exactly known as a tech center. Maybe the South Florida lifestyle holds more sway than we realized.

Nashville is known for having perhaps the best music scene in the country, but it doesn't have a major airport and can be difficult to get to. It also doesn't attract a lot of tech talent. Pretty, though.

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is known for having perhaps the...photo-8008282.177649 - |ucfirst

New York City and Newark, New Jersey

New York doesn't need to advertise itself. It's one of the world's most important, influential places, but moving there would likely cost Amazon a lot, as there aren't any indications the city would provide financial incentives. Neighboring Newark, however, passed a $5 billion tax incentive package for its bid.

The City of Brotherly Love is experiencing a kind of renaissance, and Amazon's presence there would certainly speed things up a bit. The city isn't releasing details of the incentive package it offered the company, but it was reportedly north of $1 billion.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The City of Brotherly Love is...photo-7379592.177649 - |ucfirst

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

With Carnegie Mellon University leading a wave of robotics and artificial intelligence research in the city, Pittsburgh isn't known for coal anymore. Could that pair with overall affordability to make up for a stagnant local economy? Consider Pittsburgh a dark horse.

Another dark horse, the representative of North Carolina's Research Triangle has a healthy tech scene and lots of local institutions producing a large talent pool. But the city lacks mass transit options, and a less-than-inclusive political climate might be a turn-off.

Raleigh, North Carolina Another dark horse, the representative...photo-10918142.177649 - |ucfirst

Toronto, Canada

The only Canadian city to make the cut, Toronto should be considered a favorite -- or favourite. The city didn't offer any tax incentives as part of its pitch, but Amazon could save up to $600 million per year thanks to the Canadian healthcare system. Don't discount Canada's welcoming immigration policies, either.

The fact that this trio of Beltway bids were among the finalists might tell us that the area around the nation's capital is getting serious consideration. Huge businesses already call the area home, and despite traffic woes, it's a transportation hub. Plus, employees could help the circulation numbers for the Jeff Bezos-owned Washington Post.